Bad Lands (2023)

A cool & calm thriller with a captivating story that unfolds little by little.

With 2:22 hrs an unusual long movie, that needs patience and concentration.
By vibe it was very cool, and calm. Most thrillers are action loaded and therefore very loud and you are stimulated visually all the time by fast cutting scenes. This one is different. Somehow a lot happened all the time, and the plot kept going, but it wasn't obvious. It's like you are absorbed without noticing. There was a detail oriented steadiness that kept the tension unconsciously.

Don't know how to describe it, but like you are scammed and not aware of it, that some unavoidable incident already happened, because you don't see it yet. This movie has some kind of subtleness. So someone who is used to apparent spoken out concrete happenings might find this movie very boring, because it took it's time to introduce all characters in the beginning and slowly unfolds to give the big picture,

Personally, i really loved the vibe and feeling that was created by showing different places and the environment and the people. I think a very successful novel adaptation in regards of the feeling that was transported by the mood. It reminded me of the vibe that documentaries give off, because there was a focus on places and how a place is shown from different angles. In this it was somehow atpical to the usual japanese camera-work.

I'm a big fan of Ando Sakura and Yamada Ryosuke, and seeing them together was really enjoyable. Waited full of anticipation for subs for this movie for a few month now and i was not disappointed.

The best aspect is still the plot, characters and storytelling that makes the time worth watching.

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Gripping plot, I wish it went even deeper on characterization for more emotional payoff

The movie follows the story of a duo of scammers, brother and sister, as they are grifting on old people, leading a very despicable lifestyle. They are living in a parallel world to regular society, full of misfits and scums. It is not necessarily an anti-hero tale but rather a dark thriller as they are trapped in an infernal spiral of events following succession of very bad decisions as well as very poor family background.

I think some of the emotional, more intense moments could have been elevated even more. I feel we were deprived of emotional payoff relating the fate of some of the characters. I think the heroine was so cold, despite having some fit of rage that sometimes scenes that could have been heart-gutting were handled in a too detached manner. There were of course some clear bonds between characters and I loved the relationship between the heroine and her younger brother. But it could have been even more elevated: as the script could have spent even more time detailing the sibling relationship, making it even more twisted to accentuate that unhealthy but also ultra solid bond they share.

Even though I wish Ando Sakura (who played Neri, the main protagonist) would have been able to show more range and nuance, especially in the more sweet or painful moments...I liked her overall. What brought the story to life was the gallery of characters who are surrounding her: there are many colorful support roles that were very well-played with the right touch of craziness and darkness. Yamada Ryosuke, as the other main role, is shining in his part. His character is the triggering factor of the events and he is the driving force of the movie.

The production value was very good. The decors in which the characters are evolving are really well made. The costumes are participating is setting up the characters in a very efficient way, allowing the viewer to grasp what's not directly told...The music is not memorable but felt fitting for the movie.

I would recommend this to people that are looking for a dark thriller. There is some psychological aspect to it that I really enjoyed but I wish it would have been pushed even further. There are a lot of interesting elements relating to the relationship between the two main roles that could have been elaborated more for deeper emotional payoff. However, it was still a pretty exciting story to follow with a lot of craziness and darkness. I don't think it aims to make us love the protagonists neither to provide a well rounded social critic. But it is in overall pretty entertaining and quite captivating.

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